Nuke Obama's 'Global Zero'

Roger Cohen of the Times criticizes yet another of the visions Obama first had back in his college dorm in Columbia and never updated for the 21st century:

Dangerous Nuclear Illusions
By ROGER COHEN

LONDON — A world without nuclear weapons sounds nice, but of course that was the world that brought us World War I and World War II. If you like the sound of that, the touchy-feely “Global Zero” bandwagon is probably for you.

I’m an optimist in general but a pessimist when it comes to nations’ shifting pursuit of their interests. Humans, not states, have consciences. President Barack Obama’s commitment in his 2009 Prague speech “to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons” was a fine sentiment but a political mistake.

The idea went down well with the Norwegians, who awarded Obama a Nobel Peace Prize he should not have accepted, but overall this prospective peace blossom has wilted faster than a flower in the Scandinavian night.

...

Visions are nice — Marx had one of classless societies. They can also be dangerous. Helmut Schmidt, the former German chancellor, famously remarked that people who have them should see a doctor.

The danger was that Obama, very early in his presidency, would be perceived as weak or unrealistic by rivals such as China or enemies like Iran, despite his commitment, for “as long as these weapons exist,” to “maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary.”

That perception of weakness has taken hold, reinforced by his academic-seminar approach to an Afghan surge now just seven months away from being reversed.

The critics are emerging from every corner.

Comments

[Neo]

Jindal has criticized the administration in the past over the spill, but that he would do so at the outset of his book suggests he wants to raise his national profile — and perhaps seek national office.

.. or perhaps it signals that Jindal thinks Obama is more interest in image over substance (or that Obama is a f.king idiot).

[narciso]

We see his narcissism really knows no bounds, I forget (honestly) now, who pointed that out

[bunkerbuster]

Iran isn't emboldened because Obama talks about wanting to rid the world of nuclear weapons, Iran is emboldened because it had a ringside seat to the biggest foreign policy and military disaster in American history: the invasion of Iraq.
If America couldn't win in Iraq, what Iranian leader would be stupid enough to worry about how tough the president talks about nuclear weapons? It's beyond obvious that however tough America talks and however many nuclear weapons it may have at the ready, an invasion of Iran is not something it is capable of completing successfully. The only people too dumb, or too spun not to know that are the know-nothings who still think Saddam was working with Al Qaeda and poised to attack the U.S. with WMD...
It is true, too, though, that Obama's failures in Afghanistan are creating opportunities for Iran, though it's hard to see how that could have been avoided, even if the president had a much more balanced, realistic policy. Iran has always had a role in Afghanistan and probably always will...

[Melinda Romanoff]

"Nobody knows the troubles I got.."

Not Chesty Puller.

Pity, that encirclement thingie...

[Specter]

me and the prez...well...we be down with gettin at dat nuclear biz...

[narciso]

Well actually there's nothing under the sun, there, in the LUN, even Conan Doyle, had a character that arose from that fight

[eort]

Hes just there to give away foreign aid like his pal. The foreign aid is just a computer button he hits for FF and some FS jobs direct deposit

[JM Hanes]

The light does seem to dawn on Richard Cohen from time to time, but it goes out pretty fast.

[JM Hanes]

It dawns on Roger Cohen sometimes too.

[Clarice]

I think the last idea to enter O's head was dated 1960 something

[narciso]

Iowahawk does Olbermann, one better in the LUN

[peter]

Always happy when Iowahawk has a new posting. Thanks, Narciso. by the way Gail Collins says that Obama is going to get his groove back. Like the Mets. seriously.she said that. Like the Mets. Whatever you say, Gail.

[Captain Hate]

the biggest foreign policy and military disaster in American history: the invasion of Iraq.

Nice to see that the turfing points haven't been updated from 11/1.

Collins is using the Mets as a benchmark for a Bammy resurgence? I don't think Selena Roberts ever wrote anything that stupid, although I stopped reading her after a point.

[Cecil Turner]

Cohen misses rather badly with this one. The idea of a global zero is an integral part of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty:

Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

And we very much need to pay lip service to the harmless parts of that agreement (harmless because even the President acknowledges it ain't gonna happen in his lifetime), so we can use the rest of it to advance our own security interests (esp. in effective non-proliferation controls). And he's wrong on the new Start as well, which merely acknowledges Russian stockpile and delivery vehicle degradation and commits us to matching cuts in actual weapons systems. If anything, this treaty provides a double incentive to China to continue its own expansion program, and hurts our national security (just as the cancellation of F-22 production encouraged fighter development).

Similarly, this "Reclusive Leftist" bit about Obama is all wrong on the issues (lamenting his policies' wimpiness rather than their lefty extremism), but a great example of the left abandoning a sinking ship.

[bgates]

the biggest foreign policy and military disaster in American history: the invasion of Iraq.

What was #2?

[boris]

bubu is #2

[Danube of Thought]

Wondering where Vietnam might rank...

[MarkO]

.

Failed dreams, visions, misapprehensions, mistakes all fall into the category of things that shock you because you simply failed accurately to appraise the situation. Someone with no appreciation of historical facts or and understanding of the workings of national self-interests can more easily pronounce the goal of a nuclear free world. Certain opinions are better held without examining the underlying facts. Obama is so plainly uneducated in American and World history.

The last two lines of Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” sum up the process of learning to let go of conceits:

“A sadder and a wiser man
He rose the morrow morn.”

Obama may be sadder but not wiser.

[RichatUF]

Wonder where World War I would rank? Or how about giving away the Panama Canal...US occupation of the Phillipines...or the Clinton special, the "tough medicine" approach with Russia which ended with the late 90's emerging markets crisis?

Wish the left would update their talking points.

[RichatUF]

Wasn't nuclear disarmarment a lavishly supported Soviet active measure?

[PaulY]

Dems cutting off military aid to SVN was # 1 failure

[memomachine]

Hmmmm.

Isn't it odd. Normally success has many fathers while failure is an orphan. Yet now the "success" of ObamaCare is an orphan while pointing out the failures of Obama has many fathers.

[bunkerbuster]

Indeed, Vietnam was a bigger disaster on many scales: loss of American life, for one. But arguably, American power was much nearer its apex as was its ability to draw support for its foreign policy from allies.
On its own, the invasion of Iraq may not be the biggest disaster, but when you measure it by its effect on the trajectory of America's ability to defend itself long-term, it surely is.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

Always the moron bubu, you are just sad.

[JM Hanes]

Yeah, bubu. All those multi-national forces in VietNam are just seared into my memory, I tell ya.

[RichatUF]

Oh good grief. Hussein called the first Gulf War the Thirty Nations Aggression and the US had over 30 nations supporting our efforts in Iraq this time around.

[Ralphly]

Cloud cookoo land. Cat is out of the bag and those with the knowledge will have the ability to take control should the other decide to play nice. There is always someone who will punch below the belt...

Leanspa